Yeap, sure do. As does the lovely Lady over there. She points at Valtyra.
I did some modelling in a place where I probably shouldnt have done it. As such I had to alter my terms somewhat. No using "Soulographs" to take my pictures because I effing like my soul where it is, during modelling, I will have my sword nearby in case of "poof suddenly demon hitsquad" and . Also, if you want to paint me enlarged, that will cost extra, and I will procure the neccessary potions myself.
Again trying to avoid being heard by the fake Mr. Gauthfallow, Martin pulls Tellias aside and whispers, "If Mr. Gauthfallow has already been murdered, it had to happen very recently. I doubt they had time to thoroughly clean up after themselves. We should try to find him more quickly, perhaps it's time to forgo pretending to believe that this thing is the real Mr. Gauthfallow?"
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Valtyra nods along but doesn't take her eyes off of the pretender, "I'm inclined to agree unless you think you can get more information out of him? If there is any"
Smiling widely, "I would never dream of including a Qlippth. While the idea of a massive you is fascinating potions tend to have a shorter duration. Certainly, shorter than I would prefer for an evening of artistic leisure. I have never been one to rush."
Also, if a sudden demonic hitsquad pops in, and I murder most of them, and you sell the surprisingly multicolored blood and goo stains resulting from that as "your painting" then I am demanding a full 50% commision from the resulting sales.
From her tone, exactly that circumstance happened before. As she moves along. Preparing to open the door opposite to the only opened one on this level.
Hanging back, so the person can't hear, Martin whispers to Valtyra, "This is strange. Do you think that maybe this, er, 'construct' actually believes it is the real person?"
He thinks a moment.
"Of course this begs the question, where is the real Mr. Gauthfallow?"
"Yes, I'm beginning to think exactly that." Valtyra whispers back, watching the false Gauthfallow closely.
She nods as Caipha indicates that she models as well, sure that the real Gauthfellow would likely know that, and can't help grinning at the description of doing so on the lower planes.
Telias listens and nods before coming up with an idea.
Turning to the construct he says, "Mr. Gauthfellow, while I appreciate the offer to view your pieces I'd very much like to see your studio first. I'm something of a romantic and seeing the place where the work is done gives me a greater appreciation for the effort and skill of the final product. Consequently, this would put to rest certain suspicions I have which will accelerate our exit from yoir abode."
diplomancy
Leaning closer to Caipha as Telias draws Gauthfellow's attention, Valtyra speaks quietly "Mă gândesc că, dacă ne conduce la studioul său, unul dintre noi îl scoate în vopsea mai subțire."
Îl găsesc destul de amuzant. Ai înțeles ce a fost de râs cu acel Lich bolnav de dragoste care a făcut un Trompe De Loil cu Lady Nocticula? Lich-ul este incredibil de mort, adică mult mai mult decât înainte, Nocticula are o nouă sosie, una care chiar îi poate imita abilitățile. Din câte am înțeles, astfel de tablouri nu au neapărat suflet, dar pot fi simțitoare, sau pot deveni pe deplin simțitoare dacă sunt înzestrate cu suficientă individualitate inițială. Dacă își depășește designul și nu ne trădează, sunt dispus să îl tratez ca pe o ființă vie.
She answers.
I find him kind of amusing. Did you get the gist of the hilarity with that love-sick-Lich making a Trompe De Loil of Lady Nocticula? The Lich is incredibly dead, as in much much more so then before, Nocticula has a new double, one that can actually mimick her abilities. My understanding is that such paintings do not neccessarily have souls, but that they can be sentient, or become fully sentient if endowed with enough initial individuality. If he overcomes his design and does not betray us, I am willing to treat him as a living being.
Ciapha answers.
Nodding to Ciapha but any response is smothered by Telias, "Certainly."
Pointing down the hall to the right, "First door on the left." Narrowing his eyes, "I can go first if you want"
Moving into the hall and towards the door he pointed to and opening it.
Stretched canvas, picture frames, a worktable with neat rows of covered jars of paint and an assortment of brushes laid out carefully on it, and several easels holding works in progress occupy most of the space in this art studio. A few finished pointln9s stand propped a9ainst one of the walls. Some look quite beautiful while others are unsettling and repugnant.
[ooc]Totally up to you all if he goes in before or after you all. the spoiler is a brief description of the studio once you go in. /ooc]
Withbrhat special sense of caution reserved for drunkards and small children Telias walks into the room.
After first checking to see if he was being rude or stepping into something undesirable Telias takes a quick glance around for potential danger.
One painting stands out. It is entitled "Justice and Vindication," depicting a dark haired main laying on a bed with red wasps. The thousands of vermin are biting, stinging, and chewing their way into his flesh. Some of them crawl beneath his skin. Others crawl in and out of his gaping mouth, nose, and ears. Another looks incomplete but depicts a hunter in a snowy forest who is notching a arrow and there is a buck in the distance. But there is a dark figure watching the hunter, not detailed yet just a dark blurr.
One of the less ominous pieces depicts winged humanoids flying over a lake with a pink and purple sunset. A massive mountain fills the left side of the canvases. Another is looking out of a cave tunnel into a massive unground city carved from crystal.
There is something familiar about the artists style, but you cannot quiet place it yet.
Granted slightly magical and certainly fantastical artworks have flooded the market. Endrik Archerus is certainly credited for it but being here and considering what the others have mentioned the name Imron Gauthfallow tickled the back of your mind. Didn't he have a gallery just before this style took off? You remember a painting of a warrior dead in a field that decayed into bleached bones in a few minutes.
Based on the brush work Imron might be a copycat. You have seen a painting of a Rift Dragon tearing into a forest with enough accuracy it hangs in one of the libraries of the Grand Lodge. People can reliably paint some creatures without ever seeing them in person but there are not many descriptions of Rift Dragons. But focusing on that memory you are sure the initials were IG on it.
There is a swirl of the elemnets and you know that to be the Onos, the Deity of many doors, of planar travel. A few pages of an emaciated creature with a stag's head but a man's body, that's a wendigo and likely what is going to be hunting the hunter. Then there are the familiar yet decidedly different streets. Where you not a Shelynite you might not have been so quick to recognize Shadow Absalom.
Whoever Imron Gauthfallow is he is ether very well educated or well-traveled. And all of the art is quiet good showing years of honing a skill.
Valtyra takes it all in, studying the artwork that is actually quite impressive, occasionally turning her gaze toward the "artist".
"What is it that inspires your choice of subject matter, if you don't mind my asking."
Any of these for sale? Also, are you taking comissions?
Asking for an incredibly well endowed person with a large gallery in another important metropolis that starts with the letter A.
Ciapha banters raising an eyebrow.
Smirk firmly in place and focusing on Valtyra, "I draw inspiration from the world around me ad its a very big world."
Shifting to grin at Ciapha, "Most of them are not completed. Commissions are depending on the subject. I do prefer to paint what I can see."
planes
religion
arcana
local
nature
history
nobility
There is a swirl of the elemnets and you know that to be the Onos, the Deity of many doors, of planar travel. A few pages of an emaciated creature with a stag's head but a man's body, that's a wendigo and likely what is going to be hunting the hunter.
The winged humanoid look like angels and the pristine scene makes you think Heaven or Nirvana. But when you get closer you can see the wings look white in the lightening but have dark shadows. Those are erinyes. Looking to the table nearby and you can see sketches. A large floating eye surrounded by lightening with barely visible figures swirling around it. That is Hshurha, the elemental lord of the plane of air.
The winged humanoid look like angels and the pristine scene makes you think Heaven or Nirvana. But when you get closer you can see the wings look white in the lightening but have dark shadows. Those are erinyes. Looking to the table nearby and you can see sketches. A large floating eye surrounded by lightening with barely visible figures swirling around it. That is Hshurha, the elemental lord of the plane of air.
The scenes are interesting. The angels being chased by some erinyes is familiar. You have seen that scene before. It was in a gallery. Endrik Archerus. Thats the one. He sets standards despite how often his style and subject matter changes. While you know Imon tried to get magically enchanted art to be mainstream it is Endrik Archerus who is credited for it.
Some of these paintings have magical feel to them. You would need a spell like detect magic to figure out the specifics.
You have seen Archerus's work. And there was that painting at the gallery you went to maybe a week or two ago. Someone is a copycat. But you can clearly see what Imron's style is. You do recall there were four paintings Darius said he had to deliver...
Telias is quiet for a long, long time upon entering the room. Stepping carefully as if entering a temple he takes great care not to touch or step on anything. Drinking in every detail and soaking in all the facts and evidence as presented.
As he gets to the last painting he stares off into space for a moment and shakes his head. "Well, chances are he is extremely dead, guess I'll check the paper in the morning. So, Mr. Gauthfellow is a wizard well versed in planar magic, and with quite the knowledge base to draw inspiration from and the skill to pull those images onto canvas. He is attempting to make magical artwork a main attraction, start a trend, and as anyone is aware trendsetters are showered in fame and most importantly, fortune. However he is not the big name he believes he could be and enlists the help of one with the name, or at least the clout, to get him introduced to the right circles. Naive, if you ask me, I find most of that crowd tolerable at their very best. This naivety costs him gravely, as he finds out the man's a thief, a skilled copycat who uses his influence to poach from greater talent. It's likely worked a dozen times over with lesser artists." Telias starts pacing his voice gaining greater and greater command as pieces start falling into place and a narrative starts to form. "But Mr. Gauthfellow is no lesser artist he has stared into the very cosmos and tore their secrets out so even a layman can see them. And so when he sees his blood, sweat, and own magical power dragged before an applauding audience touted by the very circle he hoped to become entrusted with as a masterpiece credited to the man who violated his trust in the most obscene manner. Well, what did he do then? What did you do?" Telias turned dramatically towards the facsimile of the man. "Did you cry out in protest? Or did you quietly try to make inroads to said parties to try to uncover such a heinous crime?"
Art criticsCiapha chuckles.
The situation may be more complex then you assume Mr. Telias
Ciapha speaks, suddenly with an Auteurs accent, which seems more Galtese, but not really, and her movement patterns shift towards well, she pulls of high society lady wearing a breastplate pretty well.
There are multiple actors in the little play, Mr. Gauthfellow, Monsiuer Paintfellow and Mr. Archerus at the least. The question of who of these acteurs acually created Mr. Monsieuer Paintfellow has not yet conclusively answered, nor is une construct neccessarily to blame for the deed of his creator. I would propose to investigate other areas before casting. She speaks, causually but sensually twirling her hair, which suddenly seems far more shiny, around one of her fingers.
She pauses
Judgement She finishes with an omnious tone.
I let someone else speak through me, and I do receive a degree of compensation if I do so. I concurr with her that I am unwilling to "cast judgement" based on the currently available information. Ciapha says in her normal tone, subtly moving between Mr. Paintfellow and Telias.
Who is Mr. Acherus? Ciapha thinks as she does so.
Chuckling and shaking his head, "You all are an entertaining group. Standing there accusing me. And I do not care for Mr. Paintfellow."
Ciapha gives Mr. Paintfellow an almost beatific smile.
Valtyra's countenance is calmly unexpressive as she studies the 'man'.
Someone stole his ideads and is suing them as their own.
"Este plin de viață, chipul lui nu o arată, dar se aruncă cu furie. Telias a lovit cu adevărat un nerv. Se simte ca a fost jefuit (probabil pentru că încă crede că este adevăratul artist, iar cineva își folosește ideile)" Valtyra says quietly in Celestial.
Perhaps we can uncover more clues in other areas? Ciapha suggest, not saying "Paintfellow" out loud for a change.
Ciapha tries to make him the most pissed at her, and not at Telias whom Ciapha assumes to be less capable of taking a sudden assault.
Shrugging and waving a hand towards the hall. "Servants quarters and guest rooms to the right. The room next to us on the left is my study. And that is the upstairs. Do you wish to inspect them all?"
Telias shrugs. "Well it's either that or he's a very clever copycat to a wildly talented artist who's works just increased incredibly in value. Don't really care for memorial galleries, rather morbid."
Telias turns back to the painting and smiles in a way that is entirely without humor. "Maybe Mr. Gauthfellow can manage selling this to a tavern for a decent sum. An interesting place to be caught between."
Hand moving back to the rapier at his side. "You insult me know?"
Quickly drawing his blade and pointing the thin blade at Telias, "I have indulged you all long enough. Leave."